John 21:17

He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Grievous as this was for Peter, it wiped out all guilt of his denials; and the Saviour's total forgiveness is implicit in the threefold charge to care for the church Jesus came to establish. The external situation associated with this triple confession of love inevitably called to mind the denials. There were three of each; the charcoal fire was at both events; the day was breaking on both occasions; and there had to have been another cockcrow, although the latter is not mentioned.

The Gospel is infinitely richer for this triple confession of Peter's love of Jesus. It explains why Peter was at his usual place in the lead on Pentecost; and it also makes it impossible to assert (intelligently) that this Gospel was written to downgrade Peter, as some have affirmed. The image of Peter that emerges in John is even higher than that in the synoptics.